With the PSR deadline now passed, Newcastle United have reportedly made contact to sign a Brazil international who wants a shot at Premier League redemption this summer.
Newcastle transfer news
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for the Magpies, who showed the door to Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson, before announcing the arrival of new sporting director Paul Mitchell. Mitchell arrrives following the departure of Dan Ashworth, who finally saw a deal agreed to sanction his departure to Manchester United this summer.
Mitchell’s main task this summer will be to transform Newcastle back into a side capable of finishing inside the Premier League’s top four and to hand Eddie Howe the squad depth needed in pursuit of that.
On that front, those at St James’ Park have already been linked with a number of names, from versatile defender Malick Thiaw all the way to Mainz winger Brajan Gruda, but neither of those targets could be the first through the door under Mitchell, who could instead hand a Brazilian midfielder a shot at Premier League redemption.
According to MARCA, Newcastle have made contact with Juventus over a deal to sign Arthur Melo this summer. The midfielder is reportedly available for €20m (£17m) and wants to return to the Premier League in an attempt to redeem himself following a loan spell to forget at Liverpool in the 2022/23 season.
With Everton also interested, Newcastle will need to act fast if they want to secure Arthur’s signature in the coming months. The midfielder enjoyed a resurgent loan spell at Fiorentina last season and could now finally be ready to prove himself in the Premier League.
Signing “exciting” Arthur wouldn’t be without its risks
Arthur may have shown signs that he’s far closer to his best these days at Fiorentina than in previous failed spells elsewhere, but this is still ultimately a player who flopped in the Premier League.
Granted, the Brazilian had his injury issues, but the fact that he quickly became a forgotten man at Liverpool highlights the risk that Newcastle must consider, especially if he’s worth £17m. Questions would need to be asked whether he could displace their current midfield.
The numbers suggest that Arthur could certainly push Longstaff for a place in Howe’s side, but it remains to be seen whether he’d be a big enough upgrade to warrant spending £17m this summer.
The former Barcelona star is unsurprisingly hoping for Premier League redemption after failing at Liverpool despite Jurgen Klopp’s initial praise. The German told the club’s official website when Arthur arrived: “What does he bring? He’s a really good footballer – I think we all agree on that. He had a very exciting career already and still pretty young, so in the best age for a footballer or coming into the best age for a footballer.”
